Category Science Fiction Books

Nov 11 2013
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Book Review: Perdition by Ann Aguirre

PerditionTitle: Perdition

Author: Ann Aguirre

Series: Dred Chronicles #1

Genre: Urban Sci-Fi

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

The Overview: The prison ship Perdition, a floating city where the Conglomerate’s most dangerous criminals are confined for life, orbits endlessly around a barren asteroid. Life inside is even more bleak. Hailed as the Dread Queen, inmate Dresdemona “Dred” Devos controls one of Perdition’s six territories, bordered on both sides by would-be kings eager to challenge her claim. Keeping them at bay requires constant vigilance, as well as a steady influx of new recruits to replace the fallen. Survival is a constant battle, and death is the only escape.

Of the newest convicts, only one is worth Dred’s attention. The mercenary Jael, with his deadly gaze and attitude, may be the most dangerous criminal onboard. His combat skill could give her the edge she needs, if he doesn’t betray her first. Unfortunately, that’s what he does best. Winning Jael’s allegiance will be a challenge, but failure could be worse than death…

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The Review:

All I have to say is, Ann Aguirre has definitely become one of my favorite authors. She consistently delivers highly entertaining books, Perdition being no exception. I have now made my way through at least one book of her four different series and it amazes me how different they are from one another. She just knows how to tell a good story, whether it’s about an orphan living in underground ruins (Enclave) to a psychically gifted space traveler (Sirantha Jax), she makes everything fresh, exciting, and highly entertaining!

The Jax series has become one of my all-time favorites, so you can understand why I was especially excited to read a spinoff from the same universe. With its amazing characters and an awesome storyline, Perdition takes place exclusively on a giant, unguarded prison. It reminds me of that one Stargate episode where the team ends up on a planet that’s been similarly converted to a orbiting prison. You know, the one were they meet that crazy lady… Anyway I love the concept of that episode, and Aguirre presented her twist on that idea in a way that was interesting and new (figuratively speaking, of course… it is a prison after all).

In my mind, there is a difference between atmosphere and setting. I have had minor issues with this author’s settings in the past, but have always loved the mood and feel she gives us with what she does describe. In this novel she did a great job balancing the two which made the world-building my favorite element of the story.

This was followed very closely by how much I enjoyed the characters, especially the main protagonist, Dred. She was one badass chick. I loved her because she had to find and maintain an inner strength well beyond what normal human beings have to endure, and only seemed to get stronger from it. The side characters were all just as memorable, with that hint of mystery surrounding them promising fun discoveries in the future. I’ve always said I love how Aguirre creates relationships, and not just the one surrounding the love story. She manages to form a deep connection between characters every time, which makes me care for them that much more. That is the one consistency in all her works that I most love and appreciate.

Overall, this was an excellent first novel to a new series, and I sincerely hope it develops into a five-star one like the Jax series did once it gained momentum.

Recommended Reading: of course I’m going to geek out about this one to anybody who has already read Sirantha Jax, but I would also feel comfortable pitching it as a standalone series. I would mention it to anybody who enjoys either urban fantasies or space operas (doubly so for those who like both). Readers of her Enclave series would probably like these too, provided they don’t mind a little more, shall we say “adult” content.

by Niki Hawkes

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Sep 21 2013
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Book Review: Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey

8855321Title: Leviathan Wakes

Author: James S. A. Corey

Series: Expanse #1

Genre: Science Fiction

Rating: 5/5 stars!

The Overview: Humanity has colonized the solar system – Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt and beyond – but the stars are still out of our reach. Jim Holden is XO of an ice miner making runs from the rings of Saturn to the mining stations of the Belt. When he and his crew stumble upon a derelict ship, “The Scopuli,” they find themselves in possession of a secret they never wanted. A secret that someone is willing to kill for – and kill on a scale unfathomable to Jim and his crew. War is brewing in the system unless he can find out who left the ship and why. Detective Miller is looking for a girl. One girl in a system of billions, but her parents have money and money talks. When the trail leads him to “The Scopuli” and rebel sympathizer Holden, he realizes that this girl may be the key to everything. Holden and Miller must thread the needle between the Earth government, the Outer Planet revolutionaries, and secretive corporations – and the odds are against them. But out in the Belt, the rules are different, and one small ship can change the fate of the universe.

8855321

 The Review:

I want to thank these authors for rekindling my love for science fiction (yes, I said authors, see below)! Everything about this story had me frantically turning the pages to see what happened next. I haven’t been this excited about a sci-fi series since I picked up Aguirre’s Grimspace a couple of years ago. And you know what? I really missed it! There’s nothing like diving into the universe to give you that ultimate feel of adventure!

And adventurous it was – on a galactic scale (okay, maybe only on a solar system scale… It just doesn’t sound as cool). And it was a smart book – plenty of complexity, with interwoven plots that were just enough to keep me guessing but not so much that it was confusing. A book that is dynamic and well planned out gets my vote every time – and I probably appreciated the most because it’s something I don’t feel I could ever do in my own writing.

Another thing I loved about this book was characterization. I’ve been really lucky lately because I’ve picked up tons of books with exceptional characters (which means I’ve had some of the best reading in my life recently). Characters make or break books for me – I can put up with a lot of faults, but if I don’t like the people, I most likely won’t like the book. Leviathan Wakes had so many fantastic characters that I’d be hard-pressed to tell you which one I liked the most. Even the minor ones who only got a few pages were memorable… it blows my mind.

So far, I’ve mentioned great plot structure and characters, but I don’t think I’d be raving about the book as much if they hadn’t been combined with such killer pacing. Every moments was exciting and stressful… in a good way. It’s the type of exhilarating read that gets the adrenaline flowing and the heart pumping – I had to stop reading it before bed because it took me from drowsy to wide awake after only a few pages. It never slowed down, either. The whole book was just one big snowball ride all the way to the end!

Very few books max out my awesomeness scale in every category, but this one managed! It’s the perfect mix of science fiction, mystery, and romance (on a minor scale), and has turned me into an adoring fan of “space opera.” What’s more, after reading Leviathan Wakes, I discovered the author’s name is actually a pen for two collaborative writers: Daniel Abraham (who has quickly become one of my favorite new-generation fantasy authors with his Long Price Quartet series) and Ty Franck (who I’m told did some ghostwriting work for George R.R. Martin). I don’t know if it’s possible, but this discovery makes me love the book even more!

Recommended Reading: for any science-fiction lover (or for that matter, for anybody looking to give sic-fi a try). This book is also perfect for anyone looking for an exhilarating read – one that’s impossible to put down!

by Niki Hawkes

Other books you might like:

Sep 19 2012
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Book Review: Endgame by Ann Aguirre

Title: Endgame

Author: Ann Aguirre

Series: Sirantha Jax #6

Genre: Science Fiction

Rating: 5/5 stars!

The Review: This particular book is the last of a six book series, and I am truly sad to see it end. I’m a fairly scattered reader, and often bounce around to other series before picking up sequels. Therefore, it is a true testament to how much I enjoyed this series that I actually read them all one after another.

Aguirre’s books have a fine balance of being both character and event driven, which I think really allows the reader feel involved in the story. Told in a unique writing style (first-person present tense), it made for a great deal of suspense and excitement. The only, and I mean only, complaint I have throughout all six books is that there were a few places in the first book that were a bit under-descriptive. That said, I didn’t have any problem with that moving forward; each book added an incredible momentum to the series and just kept getting better.

While the characters were dynamic and storyline was great, my favorite part of the series was the alien interactions. Particularly in “Doublebind” the third novel, we get immersed into a highly intelligent and fascinating alien race. This, along with other factors, made that book my favorite and solidified my love of the series as a whole.

Overall this series was fast-paced, well-written, clever, and totally absorbing! And different – I’ve never read anything quite like it.

Recommendations: Although the novels are set in space, they read more like urban fantasy than science fiction. Readers who dislike strong language an sexual content may want to skip this recommend.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes